Health Minister says LNP lied to Sunshine Coast

HEALTH Minister Steven Miles has dismissed as "lies" LNP claims that delays to the roll out of Sunshine Coast University Hospital Stage 3 would mean it would take three decades to deliver.

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington this week claimed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had cut $200 million from the Queensland Health infrastructure budget with just "token gesture" allocation for Stage 3 of the Coast hospital.

"At this rate, it will take Labor three decades to complete stage 3 of the Coast's main hospital. It's clearly not a priority for Annastacia Palaszczuk," Ms Frecklington said.

"It's no wonder that SCUH's emergency department is bursting at the seams and ambulance ramping has skyrocketed.

"We need to be building more hospital beds and helping nurses at the coalface triage patients through emergency care. We also need to be easing the pressure on emergency care beds by boosting resources for community mental health."

Health Minister Steven Miles has declared the Sunshine Coast University Hospital was on track for completion in 2021 despite only $2.74 million being allocated in the 2019-20 state budget.Warren Lynam

Mr Miles dismissed the claims declaring the LNP was lying to the people of the Sunshine Coast.

"There is no delay to the rollout of Sunshine Coast University Hospital Stage 3 - they've made it up," he said.

"We're investing a record $1.2 billion to deliver health services on the Sunshine Coast - that's $46.3 million more than last financial year. Stage 2 of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital is continuing to be rolled out as planned and work on Stage 3 will begin this financial year."

Mr Miles since Labor's election to government in 2015 it had hired an additional 793 nurses and midwives, 271 doctors and 243 clinicians.

"I'm sick and tired of the LNP talking down our Hospitals and hardworking staff- it's all they ever do," he said.

"Our Paramedics, doctors, nurses and clinicians work extremely hard, and are doing a great job treating more people than ever before. "No one who comes to an Emergency Department, whether by ambulance or not, is ever turned away."

Mr Miles said said the hospital's healthcare staff saw 6378 people through its emergency department in May an increase of eight per cent on the same month the previous year.

"This includes a 27% increase in Category 1 patients, the most urgent patients requiring resuscitation. Importantly, 100 percent of Category 1 patients where seen immediately," he said.

"Despite the additional demand, the median waiting time for all patients was only 21 minutes.

An amount of $2.74 million was allocated in this year's budget to start Stage 3 planning with completion scheduled for 2021 in line with the development contract signed in 2012 under the LNP government.